Hydroplane.



1. PETIT.

HYDROPLANE;

APPLICATION FILED JULY I7. 1911.

1,274,767. 1 PatentedAug. 6,1918.

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HYDROPLANE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1911. K 1 ,274,767. Patented Aug. 6, 1918;

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IIVVE/V TOR #4531 E'TOR/VEV acaw 3 J. PETIT'.

Patented Aug. 6,1918. I'

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JOSEPH PETI'I, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. c, 1913.

Application filed July 17, 1917. .Serial No. 181,023.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn Pn'rrr, a citizen of Poland, resident of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydroplanes, of which the followin is a specification.

his invention relates to improvements in vehicles so constructed that they may be used in the air, on water or upon land with equal facility.

The principal object of the invention is to combine the features of a lighter than air or buoyant machine, with a water tight lower portion receptive of passengers providing a vehicle which may beused OIl'lIlundated or marine surfaces, the vehicle being further provided with wheels in. such manner as to move readily over any ordinary ground surface.

Another object is to provide such mechanisms with means whereby they may be caused to rise into the air and be diverted therein in any desired direction, and finally, to provide such machines, with motors, planes and rudders all of which are accessible and operable from the interior of the car.

These and other-like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which-- Figure l is a side elevational view of an apparatus made in accordancewith-the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, the section being taken on the axis of the balloon portion, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In building the superstructure, which consists essentially of a cylindrical metallic tube, having a cigar-shaped front end, and

an outer wall or casing 10, formed with a plurality of longitudinal ribs 11, connected to an inner enclrclin band 12, forming a substantial framewor other inflatable elements (not shown) which are used to give the structure a desired buoy ancy.

The terior cross-braces 13, disposedv at desired points throughout the frame.

. Attached to the superstructure, upon its for the gas bags or frame is maintained rigid by the in-.

lower side, isa car 14, provided with a plu-' rality of windows .15,-and a door 16, all of which may be sealed hermetically from the interior of the car, which normally rests upon a shaft 18, having partially housed wheels 19, preferably of the pneumaticvariety, the housingbeing formed at the endof an extension 20', in which may be carried a motor, and supplies therefor.

At the rear end of the car is a propeller 22, beyond which is a dirigible rudder 23,

the propeller being driven direct by the motor, under control of the operator within the car, while the rudder 23 is mounted upon a vertical shaft 25, extending upward into the superstructure and having mounted upon it, at its extreme end, a pair of bevel gears 24, by means of which power is transmitted to the horizontal shaftv 26, and thence through another pair of bevel gears 27, which operate the main rudder 28, the shaft 26 being arranged axially of the superstructure, both rudders 23 and28 being actuated simultaneously.

Motion is transmitted to the shaft 25 by means of another pair of bevel gears' 30, one of which is on a horizontal shaft 31, appropriately mounted in bearings 32 in the bottom of the superstructure, and driven through bevel gears 33 and 34, one of the gears of the last named pair being rotatably mounted in the bearing 35 and provided with an operating hand wheel 36, by means of which steering is accomplished, a seat 37 being conveniently furnished for the operator.

- Above the body of the superstructure are arranged masts 40 and 41, the latter of which may act as a pole forthe flag 42, and between which may be extended the antennae 43 of a wireless telegraph instrument in an obvious manner.

Arranged along the median line of the superstructure are a plurality of planes 45, the same being maintained in proper position partially by guy rods 46, theends of which pass through the superstructure and are held in such manner as to be detached or tightened when necessary, thus holding the ilanes rigidly against the side of the casin 0.

orizontal rudders 50 are arranged in opposite pairs, each consisting of a series of blades mounted upon central shafts 51, the shafts being connected by a longitudinal rection through a lever 55, the detent 56 of which is engageable with a toothed segment 57, it being noticeable that the lever extends downward into the car' accessible to the operator and. under his immediate control. Thus provision is made for holding the vessel on a normally level keel and also for turning the same at any preferred inclination or direction as it passes through the air. V The apparatus is caused to advan through the air by a pair of propeller blades 60, disposed upon opposite sides central of the superstructure and through bevel gears 62 mounted upon transverse shafts 63,

terminating at their inner ends on other bevel gears 64, driven by the driving bevel gear 65, mounted on. the vertical shaft 66, and driven from the motor direct. 7

From the foregoing, it will be. seen that "a craft capable of rising, floating and moving in the air has been described, to which is attached a passenger carrying=car suitably arranged for its occupant, and that all the various controls of the several levers are suitably arranged convenient of access by a single individual.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a device of the character described, a

body portion adapted to fioat in the Water, a bracket secured to the rear end of said body portion, a shaft journaled in said bracket, said shaft having its lower end formed into a strap, a rudder secured to said strap, a pinion provided at the upper end of the shaft, said rudder being cut away adjacent said pinion, a second plnion meshing with the pinion carried by the shaft, and means for rotating said pinion to actuate said rudder.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JOSEPH PETIT. 

